FORGOTTEN BOOKS #411: KING LEAR By William Shakespeare

When Patti first proposed an FFB about “Children Gone Wrong” I immediately thought of Goneril and Regan, King Lear’s vicious daughters. King Lear, old and tired of ruling his kingdom, decided to divide it among his three daughters. But, Lear says he will give the biggest part to the daughter who loves him most. Goneril, the eldest, flatters the old man with sweet talk. Regan follows Goneril’s lead and praises her father lavishly. Only Cordelia, the daughter who truly loves Lear, declines to play this phony game. And, as a result, earns the anger of her father who thinks, falsely, that Cordelia doesn’t love him enough. Goneril and Regan slowly steal Lear’s kingdom and reduce him to a a madman. Then, not satisfied with the kingdoms they now rule, Goneril and Regan start a civil war which sends the kingdoms into misery. So there are my candidates for “Children Gone Wrong”: the greedy and violent Goneril and Regan. King Lear by William Shakespeare at The National TheatreDirector Sam Mendes

30 thoughts on “FORGOTTEN BOOKS #411: KING LEAR By William Shakespeare”

I did get to see that Mendes production at the National with Simon Russell Beale as Lear – it had much that I liked, though it did make some very odd decision, like having Lear murder the fool on stage, which I thought was a real mistake. Great choice George!

I figured Patti had THE BAD SEED all set for herself, and I wanted to avoid anything Too well-known (such as LORD OF THE FLIES)…and, as I mention at Matt’s blog, didn’t think of elder teens such as those in LAST SUMMER or most jd fiction as Qualifying. But while LEAR certainly wins Least Forgotten this week, it certainly is bad kids…and I’ll have to Go Look to see who plays the daughters in that production…certainly the one is very striking.

Oh, CAESAR has its adherents, and the history plays, too, and MIDSUMMER and TEMPEST and at least one or two of the histories. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA perhaps doesn’t get to many Best nods. The Scottish Play certain can have a strong case made for it…and VENICE and, I suppose, SHREW…and Olivia Hussey certainly didn’t hurt my appreciation of the R&J film when I was 14, nor did her fleeting nudity.

Nice choice! Goneril and Regan have their echoes in the Trump Presidency! Think of all the phonies pouring flattering words into his ear. I’m sure it will have the same disastrous end.

Of course, I thought of THE BAD SEED, but like Patti it just creeps me out too much. LAST SUMMER would have been a good choice too, and I’ve certainly read it more recently than the other. I just didn’t have any of the relevant source material down here.

Love KING LEAR. I even acted in it in grad school (small parts — Burgundy, a servant, Edmond’s captain). As noted, such humor as appears is very dark, but if one is determined to link up LEAR and a humorous take, there’s Christopher Moore’s FOOL, which struck me as amusing in places, at least.

My candidate for “Shakespeare play that I love more than most people do” is ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.